Just in time for the Superbowl! Score a touchdown with the Straub’s Smoker and make your Superbowl party an event to remember. See our à la carte menu & special packages here!

À la carte items will be available at our four locations all weekend (Feb 1-3). Exclusive event packages are available by pre-order only. Hurry up and order before the end of the day on January 30th, 2013 to make sure you get the best BBQ for the big game on Feb. 3rd! Order by phone or drop by:

CLAYTON | 314.725.2121 ext. 32
TOWN & COUNTRY | 314.434.4707 ext. 3
WEBSTER GROVES | 314.962.0169 ext. 3
CENTRAL WEST END | 314.361.6646 ext. 3

Share to Win on Facebook & Twitter!

**UPDATE 1/31/13 – We have our winners: congratulations to Suson Koenig & Carol Goodman! Keep an eye on our social media feeds for more “Share to Win” opportunities!

You could win 2 Slabs of Baby Back Ribs OR 5 lbs of Smoked Wings from the Straub’s Smoker! (A $40 value!!)

Like us on Facebook? Follow us on Twitter? Now is the time to do so! We will be posting a “Share to Win” image on Straub’s Facebook & Twitter pages the week of January 28th. All you have to do is “share” the image. Bonus points for comments, likes, re-shares, retweets, etc.

We will randomly select one winner from Facebook and one winner from Twitter on the afternoon of Thursday, January 31st and reward them each with their choice of ribs or wings from Straub’s Smoker! If you win, you’ll pick up your prize this weekend, February 1-3, to take home for the big game!

Also, keep checking our Straub’s Smoker page for more information and updates on the new season! We plan to start the first week of May, but may start sooner if the weather is nice.

In honor of National Soup Month, we would like to know what you think of our current soup selection. All of our soups are made in-house by our chefs, daily and weekly. Of the soups we offer at our four locations, which do you love? Which do you dislike? What would you like to see? Your feedback is very important to us!

One lucky winner will receive 2 FREE quarts of the soup of their choosing. Fill out the survey by January 31, 2013 to enter the contest!

Click here to take our Soup Survey!

A lot of people understand that fresh oranges are best in the winter, but not many people understand that different varieties have particular seasons. You’ll have better luck coming home with good oranges if you learn which varieties are in season when—and keep a simple guideline in mind when you’re selecting them at the market. Oranges and all citrus fruit should be heavy in the hand for its size. This simple test is your most reliable guide for citrus fruit.

California navel oranges are considered by many to be the best oranges in the world for eating out of hand. They have a meaty flesh, their thick rinds are easy to peel, the segments separate easily, and they don’t have any seeds. All navel oranges have a navel at the blossom end—an opening with a convoluted interior that looks like a “belly button.” Some have a very small navel; others have a larger one. If you’re in doubt, inspect several in the bin. A quick poll will identify the variety. Originally planted in the 1930s on Sky Valley Ranch, Heirloom Navel Oranges gave California its reputation for having the best tasting citrus in the world. This rare variety gets its unique flavor from the perfect combination of climate, soil, sunshine, and special root stock. A true heirloom fruit, they taste like no other oranges on the market.

California navel oranges usually arrive around the second week of November and go through late spring. The earliest ones have less orange color and less sweetness. In February, March, and April, the peak months, California navels become very sweet. As summer approaches, look to other fruit varieties for the best quality.

Florida vs. California: What’s the difference?

While more commonly known, it’s not always safe to assume that a Florida orange is a Valencia juice orange and a California orange is a navel. Florida also grows navel oranges, which are on the market between late fall and the end of January. The Florida navel doesn’t have as much color as the California variety. They come in all sizes – from tennis-ball to softball size. The rind will be bronze to light orange, with a richer orange color later in the season. Florida navels are, of course, seedless, but they have a higher juice content and a thinner rind that’s not as easy to peel as that of the California navel.

Selecting Oranges

Whatever the variety, look for oranges that are shiny and heavy in the hand. It’s a primary rule for a number of fruits, but it’s especially important for oranges. Check the scent – the orange should smell good. Except for Robinson tangerines, the rind should never feel puffy—that is, it shouldn’t feel like there’s any space between it and the flesh. There should be no spotting, no signs of shriveling, no white patches on the rind, and no fermented smell.

Storing Oranges

Tangerines are the most perishable of the oranges. They will keep a day or two at room temperature and up to a week in the crisper drawer of the refrigerator. Other oranges can be kept out at room temperature for three or four days with little problem. Refrigerate them in a plastic bag or in the crisper drawer, and they’ll keep well for one to two weeks.

Chilean Sea Bass is the filet mignon of fish! This recipe will surely please your taste buds, plus it offers another option for anyone trying to steer clear of red meats.

Pan Roasting is how professional chefs cook all the time but how many of you have heard of this technique or pan roast at home? Before you start this recipe, we recommend you read some tips on Pan Roasting. It provides you with some great tips and suggestions to help understand how pan roasting works and why it is a popular cooking method with professional chefs.

What you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 tablespoons chopped shallot
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more as a garnish
• Salt and Pepper (to taste)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 filets of sea bass (approximately 8 oz. each)

Instructions:

1. Prepare all ingredients before starting. This way you’re not scrambling around chopping something while the rest of the meal is overcooking.
2. Start by chopping the fresh dill and shallots
3. Preheat your oven to 450°F.
4. Boil wine, shallot and lemon juice in medium saucepan over high heat until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 6 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to low & add butter 1 piece at a time, whisking until melted before adding more.
6. Remove pan from heat and stir in fresh dill.
7. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
8. In an oven proof sauté (fry) pan, heat the canola oil until it’s so hot it’s about to smoke. Be careful around this hot oil!
9. Season the filets with salt and pepper and add to the hot pan.
   For filets with skin: Start cooking filets skin side down for approximately 5 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy. Then, flip them over for 30 seconds, transfer them into a 450° oven and roast them for about 3-4 minutes.
   For skinless filets: Cook them on one side for about 5 to 6 minutes and flip them over for another 2 minutes before transferring to the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
   **This method should result in plump, moist, and tender filets, but you may want to experiment with these times because there are so many variables that can go into any recipe. Type of pan, thickness of fish, stove’s btu’s, oven temperature, pan temperature, type of oil… All of these factors go into cooking times and cannot be accounted for in a recipe. Using your senses and experience are vital for any recipe to work. Tom Manno’s rule of thumb: For every inch of thickness, cook fish  for 10 minutes total at 425-450 degrees on the grill or in the oven.
10. On warm plates (Try pre-heating them in the microwave for about 2 minutes), top the pan roasted filet with the Lemon Dill Sauce. Sprinkle a little of the extra chopped dill on top and serve with wild rice, green beans, and a wonderful, dry Italian white wine.